Art at FCC Young, "Especially Black Students Should Rea- in Major Art Institutions Has for the Most Lize Life Is Difficult
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20 ARTS federal City College artists William Derrick—Preacher Calvin tfatkins—Seated Figure John Armstrong—Design II Carol Ball—Fish The large number of art classes now of- The exhibit grew out of a steadily grow- fered at FCC recalls the strides made since its ing and improving relationship between the beginning in 1968 when the art department con- NCFA and the FCC art department. An increase sisted of three faculty members and two rooms. in opportunities for black art students to work Today there are three well-equipped floors of in art institutions is precisely what young ART black art professionals and teachers feel is workshops and studios and ten faculty members who are trying, and apparently succeeding, in most needed to better prepare younger blacks inspiring their students with attitudes of for jobs in art that will permit them to be- hard work, discipline and no shortcuts. "For come part of the system which evaluates art. one thing," says art department chairman Chuck Chuck Young of FCC and others feel black input Art at FCC Young, "especially black students should rea- in major art institutions has for the most lize life is difficult. In some institutions part been on a one-shot basis, as for example ANDREA 0. COHEN the attitude of just doing your own thing has at the National Gallery, which reverted to be- done more harm than good, because your own ing an all-European museum after mounting its "FIVE Years Later," an exhibit of Federal thing may be no thing. You must find what's African exhibit. They feel qualified blacks City College student art'work now at the Dis- yours and develop it." must be given the opportunity to work on the covery Gallery of the National Collection of Of the five art majors FCC has graduated, administrative levels, so'that they can see to Fine Arts, demonstrates, among other things, one is now at Pratt, another at Catholic U, a it that black shows and black ideas are fed that in spite of its troubles FCC has developed third is studying commercial media techniques, into these institutions and appropriate black an art department which produces startlingly and a fourth is teaching ceramics on her own organizations are routinely called upon for ad- good results. This is a fine exhibit and cer- in her own neighborhood. There are also a num- vice in their fieldsiof expertise. For example, tainly compares favorably with student shows ber of students, like Don Simonson, who has many feel that although the National Portrait held at any institution' in this area. Among the a painting and lovely piece of sculpture in Gallery's current exhibit, "The Black Presence highlights of this exhibit are works by Cargie this exhibit, who started from scratch in art in the Era of the American Revolution" is a fine Vaughn, William Derricks, John Armstrong, Mich- when coming to FCC and now looks like he will one, the fact that a white person was asked to ael Drayton, Calvin Watkins and Don Simonson. become a first rate professional artist. The organize it was an insult tantamount t;o saying Included of course is some less than profes- majority of work in this exhibit derives from "adequate talent and knowledge does not exist sional work, but then some pieces were done as forms of black experience. There is, however, in the black community." class exercises for drawing, printmaking, sculp- as much variety in style and feeling tone as ture, paint ing, ceramic1 or sculpture courses. The NCFA is perhaps the only Washington you are likely to find in any group show. art institution which is beginning to take LICENSED TO UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED 21 a first step toward giving blacks opportuni- knowledge they gained by teaching in local "We are right next door to ftie NCFA," ties to participate on an equal footing. Train- high schools. Several FCC art majors enrolled says Chuck Young. "We tell our students "go ing programs involving FCC students have gone in NCFA's decent training program and at least inside and find out how it really is there. a long way to teaching these students some- four are now guiding visitors from the schools It's yours' you pay taxes. Don't close the thing about the actual workings of a museum. and elsewhere through NCFA galleries. Such doors on yourselves.'" FCC students were involved in the NCFA's Dis- steps may be only a beginning, but can you cover Graphics program and then passed on the think of a better place to start? full iconography -parking lots, law offices tent. Susan Anspach has been a problem for me made of blue-tinted glass, magazine-ad kitchens, since the first time I laid eyes on her. Phy- glowing girls who believe in health foods and sically (she has Sandy Dennish features -friz- 'swinging' with the moronic intensity that zy blonde hair, pale, tight skin, spitty, pro- FILM their grannies might have brought to Christian- tuding teeth) and critically (she's a very self- ity. The peripheral characters are immensely ish actress, always going for her own 'big mo- Angeleno — a hippie minstrel (the engagirtg ment1) she turns me off. But I must admit Ma- Kris Kristofferson), a good-natured, horny and zursky uses her as well here as he did Dyan slightly tragic divorcee (brilliantly played Cannon in Bob And Carol. When she plays and by Marsha Mason) and a very bored shrink. Ma- sings (badly) a folk song, with great, self- zursky himself shows up in a small part, though conscious 'sensitivity', she projects, a per- "B/ume in love" hardly to the same effect as his memorable cam- fectly recognizable kind of contemporary woman, JOEL SIEGEL eo in Alex. spawn of California but increasingly visible Little, offhanded' moments are exquistely at local encounter groups and art fairs. Her BLUHE In Love, the best American movie so • realized. There's a casual scene in which ex- character is not fully realized -Blume is the far this year, hasn't opened in Washington yet . husband, ex-wife and current lover, all slightly screenplay's focus -but a few Woman's Libbish and isn't scheduled to do so for a few weeks. stoned, invent a delightfully silly song. (Ma- chimes are sounded, disturbingly without e- However, this may be my last chance for a zursky is the only American director who seems nough of the usual Mazursky irony to set them while to recommend it to you. Blurne has re- to understand how grass is used socially.) Other off. The filmmaker isn't, by a country mile, ceived mixed reviews so far, including a pig- scenes take on a dangerous edge. The rape scene a liberator of women, and his uncharacteristic headed analysis by Stanley Kauffman in the New is unexpectedly violent, despite its comedic solemnity on the subject strikes a false, fad- Republic, and may not fare too well with local setting, as if to convey without cop-out the dish note. reviewers. Originality and talent have never essence of violation. Best of all, there are Blume In Love is, finally, a satisfying had an easy time of it, and director Paul Ma- richly ambivalent moments like the suddenly in- movie because it constantly refuses to settle zursky is prodigiously gifted with both. serted sequence of Mexican workers who appear for easy satisfaction. As in life, we are never Mazursky, who began as a member of the to be protesting something in a funny broken for a moment allowed to feel safe, or sure of Second city troupe, rose to fame as a writer English. As the scene continues, we gradually where we are or of what we are supposed to feel. (and subsequently, writer-director) of such realize that these are, in fact, actual Chavez Writer-director-producer Mazursky makes movies films as I Love You Alice B. Toklas and Bob farmworkers pleading support for their cause. for the mind and feelings every bit as much And Carol And Ted And Alice. (His writing part- Alex and Blume, like so many of us, feel slight- as for the eye (Bruce Surtee's cinematography ner was Larry Tucker, the obese, bearded sing- ly guilty about their own success, somewhat is stunning), bringing to comnercial moviemaking ing madman of Sam Fuller's Shock Corridor.) ashamed of the shallowness of their commitment the kind of spontaniety that hasn't been around Although these conventional, commercial come- to social justice. Perversely, Mazursky loves since the Thirties and early Forties. Go see dies had moments of wit, nothing in them pre- to invent little moments which test our knee- it. pared us for Mazursky's first solo venture, the jerk liberal reactions. I can't think of any extraordinary Alex in Wonderland, to my way to other filmmaker currently active who would thinking, the most inventive and exciting home- grown movie of this decade. (Tucker has screen- writing credit but, according to someone who worked on the film, had very little to do with M Touch of Class' the actual screenplay.) Despite a few enthusiastic reviews, Alex IN THE FIFTIES, Melvin Frank used to spec- died a fast death at the box-office and prompt- ialize in will-they-or-won't-they-screw come- ly vanished from sight. Its only local engage- dies like the rather pleasant The Facts of Life ment to date was as a second feature with a with Bob Hope and Lucille Ball. A Touch of Class, Joe Cocker concert film. Mazursky and his star, Frank's current attempt to update that genre, Ellen Burstyn, tried to buy the picture back is a declasse disaster of impressive proportions.